We need more weird familiars in this (Canon)world😤, why does Dumbles get the alliance of a Phoenix and Hagrid has an affinity for every XXXXX class creature out there when everyone else gets cats/toads/owls!
Heiress Pansy Parkinson draped in Acromantula Silk Lace walking through Leisure Alley with her Dwarf Acromantula familiar, Arachne, perched on her shoulder or in a large purse. Yes, Arachne made the lace herself, sue her, a spider needs hobbies, too. And, Yes, she can, in fact, talk - though she seems to only be fluent in French, Sarcasm, and Derision.
(She is not Dwarf, there is no such thing, Pansy just has her shrunk so that she fits the size limit on familiars most establishments have. Everybody knows. Nobody has the guts to call her out on it.)
(Yes, Arachne is one of Aragog's. Do Not bring it up. She refuses to acknowledge any relation to those 'Forbidden Forest Brutes' and spat acid at the last person who said anything to her face.
She still likes Hagrid pretty well, though, cause he helped Pansy find her.)
Charlie, as it turns out, isn’t too pleased to hear from Sirius. That is to say, he gives Sirius two hours of scolding about harming cute, helpless, tiny dragons on international Floo call. Charlie finally relents and sends Sirius the Chinese Fireball’s blood after Sirius begs Molly for help. However, the letter he sends along with the blood is the definition of “passive-aggressive”. Nevertheless, Sirius has successfully obtained the dragon's blood.
Other ingredients, unfortunately, Sirius has to get himself. The good thing is that they are all of Britain-origin. In other words, they are more or less easier to find than the blood of foreign flaming snakes.
Still, that bastard Snape must have used this opportunity to torment him. “Why else does he need Acromantula Venom?” thinks Sirius while sprinting from a cluster of Acromantulas, a bottle of venom in his hand. There are at least twenty of them. Should he be happy that at least, Aragog isn’t here? That spider is nasty.
For the hundredth time, Sirius curses Snape and Dumbledore.
“Don’t be so stinky! I only took some venom!” Sirius yells back. “I didn’t even touch your eggs!” Not that he wasn’t tempted to. He can come up with at least five ways to use Acromantula’s eggs for pranking.
Sirius sighs. If only he could set one on Snape, all of this would have been worth it.
A bout of spider venom shoots Sirius. He jerks to the left and narrowly dodges it. Sirius shoots a Reducto back. “See? You don’t even need it!”
The spider tumbles down, taking with it another two. Before Sirius can rejoice, however, a spider web gets his leg. Sirius falls face-first to the ground. The ground is soft with a thick rug of rotten leaves, so it isn’t painful. Still, it gets the Acromantulas enough time to surround Sirius.
Sirius groans. Why do those giant spiders have to be so fast? They hardly need to chase their prey with all those sticky webs.
This cannot be how he dies.
Sirius shrugs and turns into a black dog, the venom bottle firmly in his mouth. Taking advantage of the spiders’ shock, he dashes into a nearby tunnel. Even underground, Sirius can hear the spiders’ angry screeches. He hurries away.
When Sirius climbs out of the tunnel, the moon has already risen. Sirius turns back into a human and lies down on the grass. His body aches with muscle exertion. It has been a while since Sirius has run this much.
Yet it feels strangely good. Sirius wonders if it’s because of the excitement he just experienced that even the scenery seems so resplendent. Even the pair of onyx eyes staring at him from above—
Sirius bolts upright. When the hell has Snape arrived?
Technically, Sirius is on Hogwarts’s ground, so it’s not unusual to run into a staff. Still…
Uninterested in Sirius’s panic, the other man snatches the bottle from his hand. He evaluates it under the moonlight and gives a pleased hum. “Good job, mutt. Now, scram before anyone sees you.”
Normally, Sirius would protest. He would claim that Snape only chased Sirius away because he was scared. Normally, Sirius would at least get those black eyes to glister in fury before he thinks of retreating.
This is not normal, though.
So, like any good dog, with his tail between his legs, Sirius scrams. He needs to get away before he does more crazy things like admiring Severus Snape’s eyes.
For @microficmay Day 2 Prompt: Resplendent. Rating: T
Newt has offered to let Jacob help him look after the magical beasts again. This time, he has an Acromantula family with spiderlings he has to tend to. It takes a moment for Jacob to understand what this actually entails...
Late...again. What else is new? Oh well. I brought back Newt Scamander! Hope you all enjoy!
Newt climbed into the suitcase before Jacob, to get to his large sanctum. Now, Jacob had been in the suitcase a few times now, and was no longer as scared of the creatures. Though this was in part due to Newt desensitizing him to the creatures, Newt still found it very helpful having another helper in his suitcase occasionally.
Besides: This time, Newt had a large amount of tasks to do today. He had to feed the creatures, tend to the Grindylow’s, and add more empty light bulbs to the Light bulb habitat. The first two tasks were standard stuff he did on the daily. But the light bulb task? Not so much. What happened was, Newt had recently brought more glow worms into his suitcase. As a result, he needed to provide the glow worms more light bulbs to make sure each one has its own to thrive in.
With Jacob on board, all of these tasks were done in the matter of an hour.
But unbeknownst to Jacob, Newt had saved his favorite task for last.
“Where are we now?” Jacob asked.
“We’re in another habitat I made especially for the Acromantulas.” Newt told him.
“What are acromantulas?” Jacob asked.
“I guess in your world they would be called spiders.” Newt explained.
“O-Oh…” Jacob froze up with nervousness. “S-Spiders?”
“Oh…Right, are you nervous around spiders?” Newt asked him.
“Uh- Oh! No no no.” He shook his head and scoffed, waving his hand. “Nah, I’m not bothered by them. They’re small little things. Easy to deal with.” He told him.
“Okay good.” Newt told him. “The mother was expecting, and eggs were pretty much ready to hatch last I checked.” Newt told him, leading him through the big habitat.
Jacob could feel the anxiety worsening with every sentence. “D-Did you s-say…B-Babies?” Jacob asked.
“Yup.” Newt replied. “And if I’m correct, then the babies should’ve hatched this morning.” Newt climbed up a rock, and landed on the ground in front of it. “Which means I need to introduce myself.” Newt told him.
Jacob let out a shaky breath. “Oh boy…” He mumbled, patting his forehead with a handkerchief. The man was visibly nervous.
“They’re currently residing in a habitat somewhat similar to where the Nundu resided.” Newt told him. “Only difference was, this rainforest looked more like the rainforests in Indonesia.” He told him.
Jacob bit his lip. “Uh huh?”
Newt kept going. “Though I would normally try to save room by putting the Acromantulas into the Nundu habitat, the mother was expecting babies at the time.” Newt explained. “And you can probably imagine my fear of the Nundu killing the Acromantula couple in their most vulnerable state.” Newt explained.
Newt and Jacob finally reached the nesting grounds of the Acromantula family.
“OOOoohmygod they’re huge…” Jacob muttered.
“RIght, forgot to mention that. They’re quite giant.” Newt mentioned. “Also, please keep a good distance from them. Humans are their prey, and you’ll be caught if you’re not careful.” Newt told him.
“Oooookay…” Jacob moved a good 20 feet away, and sat himself down on a rock. “I’m gonna need a second…” He muttered.
“Take your time.” Newt told him from the nest. Newt looked up to the Acromantulas and petted the mother’s head quite gently. “Hello big girl.” Newt greeted. “Doing well now?” He asked. And there, on the mother’s back, were all her babies. “And look at all of you…” Newt looked at all the babies. “A large litter of spiderlings.” Newt reacted. “Hello little guys.” Newt greeted. “How many have we got here?” He asked aloud. “I think there might’ve been up to 50 spiderlings per egg.” Newt said.
“F-fifty…” He mumbled, his face growing more and more white.
“I believe so.” Newt said. “And that’s relatively low compared to most egg sacs.” Newt added. He placed his hand under one of the spiderlings, and picked it up. “Look at you…” Newt held the spider in both his palms “You’re a healthy one, aren’t you?” Newt reacted calmly.
“S-So…Y-you’re not afraid of th-them?” Jacob asked.
“Not even a little. They’re absolutely fascinating to me.” Newt told him, reaching his hand up and placing the spiderling onto the Acromantula’s back. “The spiderlings themselves are relatively harmless.” Newt unbuttoned his coat as he walked up to Jacob. “Can you take this?” He asked, handing him the blue coat.
“S-Sure.” Jacob said, taking it for him, before checking vigorously for any spiders hidden in the coat. But the pockets were relatively empty besides his wand.
“The spiderlings are rather curious little creatures.” Newt admitted, placing his hand onto the back of the Acromantula mother. “Wanna see how I get them used to me?” Newt asked.
“S-Sure! Sure.” Jacob admitted, trying to put on a brave face again.
“Are you sure? I will warn you, it’s a little scary to watch if you’re scared of spiders.” Newt admitted. “But I assure you, they’re quite harmless.” He reminded him.
“Yeah, I wanna see what you do.” Jacob replied.
“Alright.” Newt unbuttoned 2 of his top buttons before placing his hand onto the Acromantula’s back.
Jacob watched as a bunch of the spiderlings crawled onto Newt’s hand, and down his arm to his shirt. Though Jacob was horrified at first, he calmed slightly when he saw Newt’s eager, crooked smile. It looked like a bunch of the spiderlings were moving down his arm and both into, and on top of Newt’s shirt.
“Ihit’s been forever since I fehelt thihis.” Newt admitted, letting a few giggles slip.
Jacob, to be frank, was a little perplexed. “Felt what?” He asked.
“Sihince Ihihi fehelt-” Newt’s arm began to pull away from the spider’s back as bits of giggles and laughter left his mouth. “Hehehehe- HahahaHA!”
Jacob dropped his jaw. “Are you okay?!” He stood up from the rock with his eyes widened. “You look like you’re gonna fall any second!”
“S-Stahahay bahack, Ihi’m fine, ihihihi’m fihine!” He told him. “Ihihi’ll just-” Newt carefully laid himself down onto the ground to save himself from injury. “Thehehere.” He said. When Newt was on his back, the spiderlings seemed more than happy to truly explore their first human. “Ohohokahay, GAHAHAhahahaha! Gohohoho nuhuhuts!”
“Ohoho my god!” Jacob reacted, watching the whole thing. “Is this a normal occurrence for you?!” Jacob asked him.
“Hahahaha! Sohometihihimes! D-Dehehepehends ohohohon the spihihiderlihihings.” Newt admitted.
Jacob watched on as Newt was continuously swarmed by spiders, and presumably explored. But it looked more like the spiderlings were doing more tickling than exploring. Jacob could only imagine that this type of exploration was supposed to tickle. But if that was the case, then why didn’t Newt mention this before?!
Although, we are talking about the same person who didn’t mention that Acromantula’s are a million times bigger than muggle-spiders.
“Cahaharefuhuhul! Ohoho jeeeheeheeheez…” Newt muttered. It was clear he was beginning to realize the situation he willingly put himself into.
“Oh god…” Jacob seemed to realize this too. “Do they know when to stop?” Jacob asked.
“Ihihihi dohohon’t- AAHAHAA! Ihi dohohon’t knohohow!” Newt admitted, rolling onto his left side. Unfortunately for Newt (And fortunately for Jacob), Newt had rolled towards Jacob…meaning Newt’s bright smile and giddy face was completely visible to his new friend.
Gosh, just seeing the joy on Newt’s face was enough to make Jacob laugh. “Ohoho geez! Hahahaha! Thihis ihis awesohome!” He reacted.
Newt covered his face with his hands. “Shuhuhut uhuhup…” Newt whined.
This only made Jacob laugh even more! “Dihid you just whine like a child?!” Jacob asked him.
“Nohohohoho…” Newt whined in the exact same tone.
“Wohohow…You even lie like one too!” Jacob reacted.
“STAHAHAP!” Newt shouted at him.
“Okay, okay!” Jacob put his hands up in arrest. “Is there anything I can do to help? Anything at all?” Jacob asked.
“Plehehehease hehehelp mehehehe!” Newt pleaded.
“Ah-” Jacob looked at the mother. “I don’t think I can, Newt…” One little snippet of information rang through his head:
[ “Please keep a good distance from them. Humans are their prey, and you’ll be caught if you’re not careful.” ]
Remembering this, Jacob knew he couldn’t come closer for fear of the mother eating him. But his friend was gonna die of laughter if he didn’t do anything…
Suddenly, the spiders paused their exploring! They just stood there in place. They didn’t even flinch!
And then, as if nothing happened, all the spiderlings crawled off of Newt. While Newt laid limp on the ground, the spiders all crawled up their mother’s leg and onto their mother’s back again. How they knew to do that, Jacob had no clue.
Jacob ran up to Newt and knelt down to help him. “Newt! Are you okay?”
Newt was laying there, giggling with a permanent smile on his face. “Goodness…Thahat wahahas…” Newt giggled a little more. “Tohohoo much.” He said, sitting himself up.
“Let me getcha up.” Jacob took his hand and pulled him onto his feet. When he was up, Jacob wrapped Newt’s arm around his shoulders, and helped him walk. “You okay, buddy?”
Newt giggled and snorted. “Never betteher.” Newt muttered.
Jacob shook his head as he laughed. This would be the perfect story to tell Queenie and Tina.
Warnings: 18+ readers only, mentions of nudity, smut
Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.
🤎🤎🤎🤎🤎🤎
𝖂𝖊 𝖜𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖘𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 in courtyard when the letter came. Hermione had been berating Harry about not concentrating on Slughorn and instead, concentrating on Malfoy. Meanwhile, Ron kept ducking behind Hermione as different girls came around the corner, always afraid that one of them would be Lavender.
"Harry Potter? I was asked to give you this." The girl said. She had straight black hair and pretty eyes. She handed a letter to Harry.
"Thanks. . ." Harry said, taking the small roll of parchment. When the girl had left he said, "Dumbledore said we wouldn't be having any more lessons until I got the memory!"
"It's not from Dumbledore." I said over Hermione's head.
"Look at this." Harry said to Hermione, handing her the letter.
I read over her shoulder:
Dear Harry, Ron, Elizabeth, and Hermione,
Aragog died last night. Harry, Ron, and Elizabeth, you met
him, and you know how special he was. Hermione, I know
you'd have liked him. It would mean a lot to me if you'd dip
down for the burial later this evening. I'm planning on doing
it round dusk, that was his favorite time of day. I know
you're not supposed to be out that late, but you can use the
cloak. Wouldn't ask, but I can't face it alone.
Hagrid.
"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Hermione said, passing it on to Ron who said, "He's mental! That thing told its mate to eat Harry, Eliza and me! Told them to help themselves! And now Hagrid expects us to go down there and cry over its horrible hairy body!"
"It's not just that." Hermione said. "He's asking us to leave the castle at night and he knows security's a million times tighter and how much trouble we'd be in if we were caught."
"We've been down to see him by night before." Harry pointed out.
"Yes, but for something like this?" Hermione asked skeptically. "We've risked a lot to help Hagrid out, but after all- Aragog's dead. If it were a question of saving him-"
"-I'd want to go even less. You didn't meet him, Hermione. Believe me, being dead will have improved him a lot." Ron said.
I privately agreed with Ron, though I hated the idea of Hagrid facing something terrible alone. Correction, something terrible for him alone. I could most definitely sneak down to see him.
"Harry!" Hermione said desperately, "You can't be thinking of going. It's such a pointless thing to get detention for!"
"Yeah, I know. I s'pose Hagrid'll have to bury Aragog without us."
"I'll go down." I said and the other three looked at me. I shrugged, "Look, I can turn into a cat. Cats are allowed past security, aren't they?"
"Ah. . ." Hermione said, looking worried.
"Nothing's going to happen Hermione." I said gently.
"Alright then." Ron said, "That sums that up."
Hermione turned to Harry. "Look, Potions will be almost empty this afternoon, with us all off doing our tests. . . Try and soften Slughorn up a bit then!"
"Fifty-seventh time lucky, you think?" Harry asked in a bitter voice.
"Lucky." Ron said. "Harry, that's it- get lucky!"
"What d'you mean?" Harry asked cautiously, knowing exactly what Ron meant.
Ron looked at him excitedly, "Use your lucky potion!"
Hermione looked at Ron in a new light, "Ron that's- that's it! Of course! Why didn't I think of it?"
"It'll work." I said confidently.
Harry looked at the three of us. "Felix Felicis? I dunno.. I was sort of saving it. . ."
"For what?" I asked, amused because I knew exactly who he was thinking about.
He didn't answer, having gone off into la la land and didn't come back until Hermione asked, "Harry? Are you still with us?"
"Wha-? Yeah, of course. Well. . . okay. If I can't get Slughorn to talk this afternoon, I'll take some Felix and have another go this evening."
"That's decided, then." Hermione said, getting to her feet and started to do pirouettes. I was quite jealous. Twycross hadn't gotten the Minister's approval for me to take the test early. "Destination. . . determination. . . deliberation. . ."
"Oh, stop that, I feel sick enough as it is- quick, hide me!" Ron cowered.
"It isn't Lavender." Hermione snapped.
"Cool. Blimey, they don't look happy, do they?"
I scoffed, "They're the Montgomery sisters, of course they aren't going to be looking happy! Didn't you hear about their brother?"
"I'm losing track of what's happening to everyone's relatives, to be honest." Ron said carelessly.
"Well, their brother was attacked by a werewolf. The rumor is that their mother refused to help the Death Eaters. Anyways, the boy was only five and he died in St. Mungo's, they couldn't save him." Hermione answered.
"He died?" Harry sounded shocked, "But surely werewolves don't kill, they just turn you into one of them?"
"It depends." I said sadly. "Sometimes they lose control. It's why dad always traveled so far during full moons. If he didn't turn me, he'd kill me, and I don't think he would've been able to keep living if he'd done either one."
"What was the werewolf's name?" Harry asked.
"Well, the rumor is that it was that Fenrir Greyback." Hermione said sadly.
"I knew it- the maniac who likes attacking kids, the one Lupin told me about!" Harry said angrily.
Hermione and I looked at him sadly. "Harry, you've got to get that memory. It's all about stopping Voldemort, isn't it? These dreadful things that are happening are all down to him. . ."
The bell rang, Ron jumping to his feet to join Hermione.
"You'll do fine." Harry said, getting to his feet as well. "Good luck."
"Hermione, you'll pass. Ron, you're going to leave half an eyebrow behind and they'll fail you if you're not careful. Remember the tips that'll keep you from splinching yourself." I said happily.
Harry and I headed to the potions dungeon and found that it was the two of us, Ernie, and Malfoy.
"All too young to Apparate just yet?" Slughorn asked, looking around, "Not turned seventeen yet?"
We all shook our heads.
"Ah well, as we're so few, we'll do something fun. I want you all to brew me up something amusing!"
"What do you mean, 'something amusing'?" Malfoy asked irritably.
"Oh, surprise me." Slughorn said.
I headed to the side room, pulling out a cauldron that already had ingredients in it. My Felix Felicis potion. I had started it with Severus after everyone had come back from break. I knew that we were going to need quite a bit.
But the potion needed work, only halfway done. Even with the headstart, the potion end time would be cutting close to the battle date.
Across from me, weird smells were emitting from Ernie's cauldron. It seemed he was trying to invent a potion. Draco didn't seem to be putting much work into his potion either, but Harry was working methodically on his. Occasionally, I caught brief smells of peppermint.
"Well, now, this looks absolutely wonderful," Slughorn said after an hour and a half of work, standing over Harry's potion. He clapped his hands together, staring down into Harry's cauldron. "Euphoria, I take it? And what's that I smell? Mmmm. . . you've added a sprig of peppermint, haven't you? Unorthodox, but what a stroke of inspiration, Harry, of course, that would tend to counterbalance the occasional side effects of excessive singing and nose-tweaking. . . I really don't know where you get these brain waves, my boy.. unless it's just your mother's genes coming out in you!"
"Oh. . . yeah, maybe." Harry said.
I had covered my nose discretely as the potion that Ernie had created was spewing horrid fumes.
The bell rang, Ernie and Draco left a once.
"Sir." Harry said but Slughorn was already leaving the dungeon. "Professor- Professor, don't you want to taste my po-?" Harry called desperately but the door closed.
I sighed, "No go Harry. But I'd certainly like to try some if you don't mind. You should try some too."
We both took a few sips and a familiar feeling flooded through me.
"Oh. My. God." Harry said, looking dazed. "That is amazing."
I picked up my cauldron and told Harry I'd see him later, and hurried up to Severus' office. Since class had let out, there were no students in the classroom and I passed through with no qualms.
I set the cauldron down in the corner. I noticed Severus had already labelled ingredients in different bottles and jars for me. I quickly finished adding the other ingredients and stirring. Severus came in a few minutes later.
"How was class?" He asked, taking a seat at his desk and picking up his quill.
"Wonderful. . ." I said, carefully counting the rotations as I stirred. Perfect, it had to be perfect.
There was a silence that contained scratching quills and momentary pauses where it was dipped in the pot of ink, bubbling from the cauldron, and soft breathing. But the potion Harry had made was making something weird happen to me.
I finally set everything aside. It was to sit and stew for about three and a half weeks and seven hours to the dot. I pulled out my potions calendar, marking the specific time. The good thing was my time-turner. If I didn't manage to get there the first time, I could most definitely get there the second time.
I stood up, getting ready to go down to dinner when Severus said unexpectedly, "It really was brilliant art, Elizabeth."
"Sorry?" I questioned.
Severus looked up momentarily, his black eyes boring into mine. "The portraits. They really were brilliant."
"You set yours on fire." I pointed out, my lips twitching to keep from smiling.
"Yes. . ." Severus said, turning back to his parchment. "You're going to ruin my image as a cold hearted person. People might actually think I'm soft."
I laughed, walking up behind him and hugging him from behind. "Your much softer than you let on." I kissed his cheek and then paused. Euphoria. I took the quill from his hand and turned the chair around, sitting on his lip, pressing my lips to his neck. He let out a small noise, perhaps a gasp, perhaps a moan, I wasn't sure.
Perhaps I shouldn't have taken the Euphoria potion because I seemed to have unlimited energy and didn't feel deterred by anything at all.
I slipped his robes from his shoulders, letting them fall. He pushed me off of him so that he could get out of the chair, and we stumbled through the door of the bedroom and onto the bed. I was on top of him, letting him slide into me easily. I moved with him quickly, my breasts bouncing carelessly and I barely noticed the pain. All I could think about was the enjoyment of him inside of me and my hands in his soft, silky hair. His hands reached up to cup my breasts, pulling me down slightly so his lips could kiss them. I buried my face in his neck.
He rolled over as I moaned softly, his hands clutching at my hips, moving gently now. Strange, usually we started slow and made our way up in speed. We seemed to be doing the opposite and it was lovely. He reached up with one hand to cover my breast, squeezing softly, while the other snaked around to the back of my head, bringing my head up to be closer to his.
Our lips reached the others skin at different spots, not necessarily each others lips. The small bursts of delightfulness was punctured with small bites of pain. But it was all lovely and in my current state, everything seemed heightened tenfold.
"What. . . what was that?" Severus asked, almost breathlessly as we laid there, the blankets curling around our legs, our clothes scattered on the floor.
"Harry gave me a potion of euphoria." I muttered, pent out of energy now that the effects of the potion had worn out. My cheek rested on his chest "I have no idea what just happened. . . I mean, I know what happened. . . I just don't know how it happened."
Severus chuckled, kissing my neck. I shivered slightly under his touch. Bloody hell.
"I should um- I should go down to dinner- yeah- dinner." I said, breathing normally again.
"As should I." Severus said. "Though I feel quite exhausted at the moment."
I too felt quite tired and would've liked to have laid there and fallen asleep. But I couldn't. So I giggled, moving away from the bed, and getting dressed again, before leaving the classroom to go down to dinner.
After dinner, I ducked into the bathroom and upon finding it empty, I turned into a cat and strode from the room.
I had to run from some Ravenclaw first-year girls who thought I was just a sweet little kitten, and after hiding on top of a suit of armor, finally made my way back to the entrance hall, and slipped out the door, sprinting across the lawn to get to Hagrid's house.
I transformed back outside the door- I didn't really want to face Fang as a cat.
"Yeh came!" Hagrid said, pulling me into a hug. He wasn't crying- at the moment- but his eyes were red and puffy.
"Harry'll be down soon." I said. "Ron and Hermione couldn't come though."
"Don' matter, don' matter." Hagrid said, sitting back down in a chair. I made a pot of tea and gave him a cup which he drank with trembling fingers. I waited, pacing the cabin, waiting for Harry. Fang followed me, looking for head scratches which I gave occasionally.
There was a knock on the door and Hagrid was up, opening the door. Harry stood there, his invisibility cloak held out in front of him.
"Yeh came." Hagrid repeated.
"Yeah-Ron and Hermione couldn't though, they're really sorry." Harry said smoothly. Perhaps it was my imagination, but there almost seemed a faint gold hue around Harry. But it was so slight that Hagrid had not noticed it. Perhaps it was my sight. I had noticed that my sight and hearing had changed slightly since becoming an Animagus (a side effect that wasn't mentioned anywhere in the books or manuscripts).
"Don'- don' matter. . . He'd've bin touched yeh're here, though, Harry. . ." Hagrid said with a loud sob. Harry patted his elbow gently.
"Where are we burying him? The Forest?" Harry asked.
"Blimey, no. The other spiders won' let me anywhere near their webs now! Aragog's gone. Turns out it was on'y on his orders they didn' eat me! Can yeh believe that, Harry?" Hagrid said while wiping his eyes on the bottom of his shirt.
"I think he mentioned something like that when we went to talk to him." I said casually, sitting down. Fang came over, setting his head on my knees and I grimaced at the slobber. I really had never been a dog person. And I liked the cute dogs, the little Pomeranians and huskies and retrievers and bichon frises and labs and beagles. Bulldogs, pitbulls, pugs, boarhounds, ugh.
I had gotten along with Fang in my second year, having lived in Hagrid's cabin for nearly two months because I figured living in Hagrid's cabin by myself was safer than staying in the castle with lots and lots of people. Fang could grow on you if you could get used to slobber.
"Never bin an are o' the forest I couldn' go before! It wasn' easy, gettin' Aragog's body out o' there, I can tell yeh- they usually eat their dead, see. . . But I wanted ter give 'im a nice burial. . . a proper send-off. . ." Hagrid said, not paying me any attention.
"I can't go near the centaurs anymore." I said randomly. What the hell were the side effects of the Euphoria potion?
"Professor Slughorn met me coming down here, Hagrid." Harry said, resuming the patting of the elbow.
"Not in trouble, are yeh?" Hagrid asked, so alarmed that Harry might be in trouble he stopped crying. "Yeh shouldn' be outta the castle in the evenin', I know it, it's my fault-"
"No, no, when he heard what I was doing he said he'd like to come and pay his last respects to Aragog too. He's gone to change into something more suitable, I think. . . and he said he'd bring some bottles so we can drink to Aragog's memory."
"Tha's- tha's righ' nice of him, that is, an' not turnin' yeh in either. I've never really had a lot ter do with Horace Slughorn before. . . Comin' ter see old Aragog off, though, eh? Well. . . he'd've liked that, Aragog would. . ." Hagrid muttered.
I snorted quietly and drank my tea. Then I sighed, putting my teacup down and pulled a piece of paper out of my back pocket. "Here, I drew this for you."
Hagrid took it in a shaking hand and unfolded it and started to sob. I quickly grabbed it from his hands so the charcoal wouldn't run.
"It's- it's beautiful." Hagrid sobbed and I put the drawing of Aragog up on his dresser so that he could see it. It was a horrible drawing- not because it was bad (if I may be so humble) but rather horrible in a gruesome way. The way I'd seen Aragog through my scared twelve-year old eyes. Strange, I felt so much older than sixteen now.
"Are we going to bury him here, Hagrid, in your garden?" Harry asked after a moment when Hagrid had stopped sobbing.
"Jus' beyond the pumpkin patch, I thought. I've already dug the- yeh know- grave. Jus' though we'd say a few nice things over him- happy memories, yeh know-"
There was a knock at the door and I stood, getting it and letting Professor Slughorn in. "Hagrid, so very sorry to hear of your loss."
"Tha's very nice of yeh. Thanks a lot. An' thanks fer not givin' Harry detention neither. . ." Hagrid said gruffly, all tears done and gone.
"Wouldn't have dreamed of it. Sad night, sad night. . . where is the poor creature?" Slughorn asked, his eyes roaming the cabin and settling on the drawing.
"Out here," Hagrid said, leaving the cabin. "Shall we- shall we do it, then?"
"Wonderful artwork Miss Kane." Professor Slughorn complimented, "You've got quite the eye for artistic beauty."
"Thank you Professor." I said quietly, briefly remembering that my drawing of him had him dressed in a pineapple suit, and I took up the rear of the party.
The moon was glistening on the grounds so that everything was in shadow. The moon rays mixed and intermingled with the light from Hagrid's windows just enough to make out the large boulder like shadow. There, before it, was a massive pit that was ten-feet-deep with a matching sized pile of dirt to go with it.
"Magnificent." Professor Slughorn said, striding to the front of the spider's face. I could only imagine it faking death and reaching out, snapping off a leg to feast on. I suddenly felt quite nauseous. I quickly put a hand on my stomach.
I could hear the tinkle of bottles and rolled my eyes. So the walrus had come for the Acromantula venom, was I surprised?
"It's not ev'ryone appreciates how beau'iful they are. I didn' know yeh were int'rested in creatures like Aragog, Horace."
"Interested? My dear Hagrid, I revere them." Slughorn said, taking a step back from the body. I could understand his point. It would be a horrible idea not to respect them. The same way you should revere Centaurs and Merpeople so they didn't kill you with a bow or a spear. There were a lot of rules to follow in the magical world. "Now. . . shall we proceed to the burial?"
Hagrid nodded and moved forward, pushing against the black spider's body and it fell into the pit with a crunch. I winced. Hagrid started to cry.
"Of course, it's difficult for you, who knew him best." Professor Slughorn said, patting Hagrid's elbow. "Why don't I say a few words?"
I came to stand next to Hagrid who wrapped a massive arm around my shoulders. My knees nearly buckled under the weight of the arm but I managed to keep standing though I felt as though I was carrying two bookbags with twenty textbooks in them.
"Farewell, Aragog, king of arachnids," Professor Slughorn said in an impressive voice, something like a preacher I'd heard at a church before. "whose long and faithful friendship those who knew you won't forget! Though your body will decay, your spirit lingers on in the quiet, web-spun places of your forest home. May your many-eyed descendants ever flourish and your human friends find solace for the loss they have sustained!"
"Tha' was. . . tha' was. . . beau'ful!" Hagrid sobbed and he collapsed onto the heap, crying harder than ever before. Even I had tears springing to my eyes, though I was sure that had to do more with the high emotions running around here than the actual sadness that Aragog was dead. But I hated it when Hagrid was upset.
"There, there." Slughorn said and with a wave of his wand, the earth crashed back into the grave, smoothing over the surface. "Let's get inside and have a drink. Get on his other side, Harry. . . That's it. . . Up you come, Hagrid. . . well done. . ."
Hagrid was deposited in a chair at the table. Fang came padding over and put his head on Harry's lap as usual. I think Fang liked Harry better than me and I was quite okay with that. Professor Slughorn uncorked one of the bottles he had brought.
"I have had it all tested for poison." He said in what he obviously thought a reassuring voice. "Had a house-elf taste every bottle after what happened to your poor friend Rupert."
I had many retorts for that comment, some of them about the cruelty for house-elves, and some of them about what 'Rupert's' real name was.
"One for Harry. . . one for me. . . and one for Elizabeth. . ." Slughorn said, diving the second bottle between the three of us. The first bottle had been fully deposited into Hagrid's tankard. "Well- to Aragog."
"Aragog." Harry, Hagrid, and I said together, also lifting our glasses.
Hagrid and Slughorn drank deeply. Harry didn't drink at all. I took a small sip and did not find the texture or taste to my taste. I'd never liked wine or alcoholic substances. I set the glass down on the table. I supposed I could hand it over if they wanted more drink.
"I had him from an egg, yeh know. Tiny little thing he was when he hatched. 'Bout the size of a Pekingese." Hagrid started down the tale.
"Sweet." Slughorn said.
"Used ter keep him in a cupboard up at the school until. . . well. . ." Hagrid's face darkened and a peculiar thought came over me.
If Slughorn had taught Tom Riddle, and Tom Riddle and Hagrid had gone to the school at the same time, then Slughorn had taught Hagrid as well. I found this much more fascinating than the story that was unfolding. I loved finding connections where none seemed to be. I always felt the need to share it too and on instinct, I looked over at Harry, but kept my mouth shut.
"That's never unicorn hair, Hagrid?" Slughorn asked, eyeing Hagrid's walls with interest. Hagrid collected things he found in forest- unicorn tail hair included. I'd helped him collect some. It got caught on bushes and ferns and was quite easy to pick up.
"Oh yeah," Hagrid said with indifference. "Gets pulled out of their tails, they catch it on branches an' stuff in the forest, yeh know. . ."
"But my dear chap, do you know how much that's worth?" Slughorn asked in awe.
"I use it fer bindin' on bandages an' stuff if a create gets injured. It's dead useful. . . very strong, see." Hagrid said with another shrug.
There was quite a difference between the educated and the uneducated, I noticed. Hagrid had only three years of schooling (at least at Hogwarts) and yet, he didn't see things for their monetary value. He'd even passed on some of his skills to me, using unicorn hair for bandages and other things. Slughorn on the other hand. . . Aragog's venom was rare, very expensive, very valuable. . . unicorn hair could be sold to wand makers. . .
They had ventured into tale about the Centaurs of the forest and I listened with vivid interest as Hagrid told recent stories of Ivagio, Ronan, Bane, and the others. I had missed some of them- Bane excluded- and hearing recent stories was quite nice. I thought about retelling some of the stories to Firenze, but I wasn't sure how he'd take it or if it would make him more upset.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Harry wave his wand slightly and the bottle on the table refilled. I said nothing, grabbing my own cup and turned the wine into pumpkin juice. Then I started to take small sips while listening to Hagrid and Slughorn trade stories about the illegal dragon trades they'd taken part of.
Harry continued to refill the bottle and they started to get drunker. They started to make random toasts to some random, some not random things. To Hogwarts, to Dumbledore, to elf-made wine, and to Harry.
"Harry Potter!" Hagrid bellowed, slopping another bucket of wine down his front. I felt how I had felt coming to Grimmauld 12 before Christmas and finding Sirius had been drinking as he had been alone for a long time. I was quite upset, watching him drink himself into oblivion, but I did nothing to interfere.
"Yes, indeed, Parry Otter, the Chosen Boy Who- well- something of that sort." Slughorn mumbled.
Parry Otter. I laughed aloud and neither seemed to notice. Harry's lips twitched for a millisecond.
Hagrid became tearful soon after, reaching up and pulling the whole band of unicorn hair off of the ceiling and gave it to Slughorn. Slughorn put it in his pocket saying, "To friendship! To generosity! To ten Galleons a hair!"
I watched the end of the unicorn hair slip into his pocket, more upset than was rational. Hagrid and I had spent classes searching for unicorn hair. While easy to take off, unicorns were usually quite careful and rarely caught their tails on bushes unless they were already loose. It was going to take ages to find more unicorn hair for bandages. What if a magical creature got hurt? We would have nothing to bind their wounds with. . . unless something else could be used? Maybe Firenze could teach me something.
They started to sing and I put my head on my arms, wondering when the night was going to end. I suppose I could've left, but I didn't want to. Something was keeping me here.
Some called him Odo the early and some called him Odo the late
It's undoubtedly true he was often confused, but his deeds they were noble and great
Some name him born on a Wednesday, for he had his measure of woe.
No he was born on a Thursday some say, for he'd always a long way to go.
"Aaargh, the good die young," Hagrid muttered after slumping into his chair. "Me dad was no age ter go... nor were yer mum an' dad, Harry..." More tears oozed from his eyes and he grabbed Harry's arm and shook it. I watched the scene with sadness. "Bes' wiz and witchard o' their age I never knew... terrible thing... terrible thing..."
And Odo the hero, they bore him back home
To the place that he'd known as a lad,
They laid him to rest with his hat inside out
And his wand snapped in two, which was sad.
"...terrible." Hagrid grunted one last time before falling asleep.
"Sorry, can't carry a tune to save my life." Professor Slughorn said with a hiccup.
"Hagrid wasn't talking about your singing. He was talking about my mum and dad dying." Harry said in a soft voice, the first time he'd talked ever since coming back into the cabin.
I flinched. Mum and Dad. I felt a sudden wave of grief and longing.
"Oh. Oh dear. Yes, that was- was terrible indeed. Terrible. . . terrible. . ." Slughorn said with a horrible belch. He refilled the mugs, obviously having nothing else to say but said anyways, "I don't- don't suppose you remember it, Harry?"
"No- well, I was only one when they died." Harry said. I was looking at the floor because I was crying. "But I've found out pretty much what happened since. My dad died first. Did you know that?"
"I- I didn't." Slughorn said in a quiet voice.
"Yeah. . . Voldemort murdered him and then stepped over his body toward my mum. He told her to get out of the way. He told me she needn't have died. He only wanted me. She could have run."
I imagined for a moment, if she had stepped aside. Voldemort would have only of killed Dad and Harry. It would've been me and her. Sirius would've helped her raise me and Lupin would have too. I could've later avenged Harry's killer. Or maybe Dumbledore would have destroyed him before I was even eleven.
"Oh dear. She could have. . . she needn't. . . That's awful. . ." Slughorn murmured.
"It is, isn't it? But she didn't move. Dad was already dead, but she didn't want me to go too. She tried to plead with Voldemort. . . but he just laughed. . ."
"That's enough! Really, my dear boy, enough. . . I'm an old man. . . I don't need to hear. . . I don't want to hear. . ."
He didn't want to hear what he had done.
"I forgot, you liked her, didn't you?" Harry asked. I shot him a quick look. Slughorn doted on his mother everyday, surely Harry couldn't have forgotten that! Or perhaps he was faking it.
"Liked her? I don't imagine anyone who met her wouldn't have liked her. . . Very brave. . . Very funny. . . It was the most horrible thing. . ."
"But you won't help her son. She gave me her life, but you won't give me a memory." Harry said.
Hagrid's snoring was all that filled the room at that moment. Even Fang was silent.
"Don't say that. It isn't a question. . . If it were to help you, of course. . . but no purpose can be served. . ."
"It can. Dumbledore needs information. I need information." Harry said loudly and firmly. Harry leaned forward a little. "I am the Chosen One. I have to kill him. I need that memory."
"You are the Chosen one?"
"Of course I am."
"But then. . . my dear boy. . . you're asking a great deal. . . you're asking me, in fact, to aid you in your attempt to destroy-"
"You don't want to get rid of the wizard you killed Lily Evans?"
"Harry, Harry, of course I do, but-"
"You're scared he'll find out you helped me?"
Slughorn said nothing.
"Be brave like my mother, Professor. . ."
Slughorn lifted his fingers to his mouth as though he were trying to smoke an invisible cigar. "I am not proud. . . I am ashamed of what- of what that memory shows. . . I think I may have done great damage that day. . ."
He had.
"You'd cancel out anything you did by giving me the memory. It would be a very brave and noble thing to do." Harry said.
Would it though? Would it cancel out everything?
Hagrid twitched his sleep, his elbow nearly knocking over the tankard. I watched as though hypnotized. There was a long silence. They both waited, a type of staring contest seemed to be going on between the two of them.
Finally Slughorn touched the tip of his wand to his temple and withdrew it, a long silver thread of memory stretched until it broke. It swung from the end of the wand until Slughorn put it into a small bottle and passed it, with a trembling hand, to Harry. He had tears in his eyes, or maybe his face was just obscured by my tears.
"Thank you very much, Professor."
"You're a good boy, and you've got her eyes. . . Just don't think too badly of me once you've seen it. . ." And with that, he put his head down and with a deep sigh, fell asleep.
The Acromantula is a truly remarkable yet terrifying creature that inhabits the darker regions of the magical world. Known for its massive size, intelligence, and lethal venom, the Acromantula is a giant spider-like creature originally native to the dense rainforests of Borneo. Its fierce, predatory nature and unique features make it both a marvel and a menace in magical biology.
Physical Characteristics
Acromantulas are enormous arachnids, with leg spans reaching up to fifteen feet or more in mature specimens. They have thick, black, hairy bodies covered in a coarse, spiny fur that protects them from external threats and helps them blend into the shadowed environments they prefer. Acromantulas have eight jet-black eyes that gleam with a sinister intelligence, allowing them to detect even the slightest movement in their surroundings.
Their fangs are formidable weapons capable of piercing armor and injecting a powerful venom that immobilizes prey almost instantly. This venom is one of the most valuable—and dangerous—substances in the magical world, used in a variety of potent potions. Additionally, Acromantulas produce large amounts of thick, sticky silk, which they use to create elaborate webs and burrows, often to ensnare prey or reinforce their lairs.
Behavior and Intelligence
The Acromantula is more than a simple predator; it possesses a high level of intelligence and, remarkably, the ability to understand human speech. Some individuals can even produce basic, raspy speech, although their vocal abilities are limited and usually reserved for rudimentary communication within their species. This intelligence makes them unique among magical creatures, as they can understand commands, recognize threats, and even exhibit a sense of loyalty or revenge.
Acromantulas are social creatures that live in colonies, usually led by a dominant male or female. These colonies operate with a primitive social hierarchy, and younger or weaker members are often used as expendable hunters or sentries. They are highly protective of their young and will fiercely defend their nest against intruders. When hunting, Acromantulas are silent, strategic, and patient, preferring to ambush prey rather than chase it.
Ecology and Habitat
Originally from the rainforests of Southeast Asia, where they thrive in warm, humid environments, Acromantulas are well-adapted to a variety of habitats and have been known to survive in cooler climates if their nesting conditions are maintained. Their preferred habitats are dense, uninhabited forests where they can construct large, hidden nests without human interference. Due to their voracious appetites and large colonies, Acromantulas often decimate local wildlife populations, preying on birds, mammals, and even larger magical creatures.
Their ability to adapt has led to sightings in various locations worldwide, although these colonies are usually removed or relocated due to the dangers they pose to both the magical and non-magical communities.
Magical Properties and Uses
The venom of the Acromantula is extremely potent and highly prized in magical medicine and potion-making. It is a vital ingredient in certain potions that require paralyzing agents or venom-based healing properties. However, harvesting the venom is extremely dangerous, and its rarity makes it one of the most expensive magical ingredients available.
Acromantula silk is another valuable byproduct. It is exceptionally strong, yet delicate, and is sometimes woven into protective garments for added strength. While not as widely used as dragon hide or basilisk skin, Acromantula silk has found its way into certain high-end wizarding attire and magical crafting due to its durability.
Interaction with Wizards and Care
Given their lethal nature, few wizards dare to approach, let alone attempt to care for, Acromantulas. These creatures are classified as highly dangerous, and breeding them is strictly prohibited under magical law. However, some wizards, such as magical creature researchers and handlers, have attempted to raise or study young Acromantulas under controlled conditions to understand their behavior and study the uses of their silk and venom.
Despite these limited cases, most magical communities view Acromantulas with a mix of fear and respect, aware of both their intelligence and their lethal capabilities. They are highly territorial and can react aggressively if their nests are disturbed or if they perceive a threat, making them particularly dangerous in any situation outside of captivity.
Control and Safety Measures
Due to the threat they pose, specialized methods have been developed to control Acromantula populations if colonies are discovered near human settlements. Repelling charms and protective barriers are often placed around high-risk areas, and in cases where Acromantulas threaten non-magical communities, teams of magical enforcement specialists are called upon to relocate or, if necessary, eliminate the colony.
Encountering an Acromantula in the wild is a rare but daunting experience for any witch or wizard. The best advice in such situations is to remain calm, avoid sudden movements, and carefully back away, as even the slightest provocation can trigger an attack. The Acromantula’s intelligence means it often recognizes when it has the advantage and is unlikely to be deterred by intimidation tactics alone.
In summary, the Acromantula is a creature both revered and feared, embodying a blend of lethal ferocity and cunning intelligence unmatched by most magical creatures. While few wizards would wish to meet one face-to-face, the Acromantula continues to fascinate magical researchers and potion-makers for the rare and valuable gifts it offers—at a considerable risk to life and limb.
“Acromantula M.O.M. Classification: XXXXX The Acromantula is a monstrous eight-eyed spider capable of human speech. It originated in Borneo, where it inhabits dense jungle. Its distinctive features include the thick black hair that covers its body; its legspan, which may reach up to fifteen feet; its pincers, which produce a distinctive clicking sound when the Acromantula is excited or angry; and a poisonous secretion. The Acromantula is carnivorous and prefers large prey. It spins dome-shaped webs upon the ground. The female is bigger than the male and may lay up to one hundred eggs at a time. Soft and white, these are as large as beach balls. The young hatch in six to eight weeks.”
“Acromantula eggs are defined as Class A Non-Tradeable Goods by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, meaning that severe penalties are attached to their importation or sale. This beast is believed to be wizard-bred, possibly intended to guard wizard dwellings or treasure, as is often the case with magically created monsters. 1 Despite its near-human intelligence, the Acromantula is untrainable and highly dangerous to wizard and Muggle alike. Rumours that a colony of Acromantula has been established in Scotland are unconfirmed.”
1. Beasts capable of human speech are rarely self-taught; an exception is the Jarvey. The Ban on Experimental Breeding did not come into effect until this century, long after the first recorded sighting of an Acromantula in 1794.
— Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Illustrated edition (172 JEUNESSE) by J.K. Rowling, Newt Scamander
